The most famous Grenadine, Mustique once had fewer than 100 residents, who eked out a humble living from the sea and soil. Then, in 1958, Scotsman Lord Glenconner (aka Colin Tennant) purchased the 1,400-acre island, and in a stroke of genius two years later, gave Princess Margaret 10 acres as a wedding gift. The princess eventually built a home there, and in her wake followed celebs including Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Tommy Hilfiger, who helped make Mustique the most exclusive landing in the Caribbean. Today its colony of villas and a small hotel are managed by the Mustique Company, which strictly controls the private island’s development.
Mustique receives few day-trippers, but you can visit on a chartered yacht or via Bequia’s Friendship Rose. The island’s east-coast beaches are the best, including lovely Pasture Bay and Macaroni Bay, the latter of which spreads out like vanilla frosting, hemmed in by bluffs and buffeted by steady breezes. Amazingly, Macaroni, the island’s finest beach, is often deserted; ask your villa staff to reserve one of the thatch huts for a barbecue lunch.
Tucked between Pasture and Macaroni and accessible only by trails linking the three is Simplicity Bay, its sands protected from the buoyant Atlantic by coral reefs. On the island’s north shore is L’Ansecoy Bay, backed by a plain with coconut palms, and around the corner are the coral-studded sands of Endeavor Bay. Day visitors steer to the main jetty at west-coast Britannia Bay; it’s the only beach with food and drink concessions, and if you follow the shore just past the legendary Basil’s Bar, you can enjoy a peaceful swim. A quarter-mile south, there are picnic areas at Lagoon Bay, where the shallow cove is suitable for inexperienced swimmers, but avoid visiting in the late afternoon, when sand fleas can be ferocious. Follow the trail past the rocks on the left and you’ll come to the hidden-treasure Gallicaux Bay, where you’ll find Mustique’s best snorkeling.
Where to Stay
The Mustique Company has a portfolio of approximately 70 staffed rental villas, with rates for a two- or three-bedroom starting at $5,000 per week in low season ($7,000 high); one nine-bedroom spread will set you back a mere $150,000. However, only a handful of homes are near the sand, including three-bedroom Ultramarine, along L’Ansecoy beach. 800-747-9214; mustique-island.com
Between L’Ansecoy and Endeavor bays, an 18th-century warehouse and sugar mill has been converted into the Cotton House. The 17-room luxury boutique hotel is pleasantly subdued; on Tuesday evenings, villa guests and owners fill the Great Room for champagne and canapés. From $520 in low season ($815 high), including daily breakfast and tax. 784-456-4777; cottonhouse.net
Where to Eat
Basil’s Bar, on Britannia Bay, is the antidote to the low-key elegance of the dining room at the Cotton House. Perched above the sea on pilings, thatch-roofed Basil’s is no ordinary bar, and its menu ranges from Indonesian-style shrimp satay to escargot and grilled lobster. Don’t miss the Wednesday night jump-up. 784-488-8350; basilsmustique.com
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